Improvement in earth-augers



C. D. PIERCE.

EARTH-AMER.

Patented Aug.8,1876.

N.FETERS. PHOTO-LITHUGHAFMER. WASHINQTON. D C,

NITED STATES PATENT (Dr-Flon7 CHARLES D. PIERCE, OF LA SALLE, ILLINOIS.

IMPROVEMENT IN EARTH-AUGERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 180,787, dated August8, `1876 application filed September 20, 1875.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES D. PIERCE, of La Sa1le,.in the county of LaSalle and State of Illinois, have invented certain Improvements inEarth-Angers, of which the following is a specication:

Itconsists, first, in the manner of connecting the arms which carry thepods and cutters to make a strong hinge-joint between the two sectionsof the auger; second, in movable sides, conforming in size and shapewith the pods, to make a bucket, and to support an adjustable bottom ofhinged sections or valves, for lifting' sand and liquid matter; third,in extending and curving the bottom of the arms to conform with thebottoms'otthepods, and thereby'aid in securing the'cutters andstrengthening the parts subject to great strain in penetrating hardsubstances, and in removing bowlders and other obstacles to well-boring;fourth, in a movable bottom of hinged sections or valves operated by aspring; fifth, in rods attached to the hinged bottom sections,`todischarge liquid `matter without opening the cylinder of the bucket.

Figure 1 of my drawingis a side plan view, showing the manner ofconnecting the arms, and also the form of my movable sides.

The broken lines indicate the size of the bore relative to thecircumference of the body of the auger and bucket.

One of the principal peculiarities and advantages of my original augerabove referred to consists in its diameter being largest at the bottomof the pods, for the purpose of preventing the body of the auger andbucket from coming in contactwith the walls of the bore. The annularspace thus secured around the auger andV bucket provides all necessaryventilation, and a large free passage for air and Water when the auger,and

bucket, and contents are lifted.

The suction, labor, straining, and breaking incident to the withdrawalof angers from their bores are almost entirely obviated by myimprovements.

A A represent the pods of my auger. B and B2 are the arms, to which thepods A are rigidly secured in any suitable way. O is one of my movablesides, made of sheet or plate metal. It conforms in length with the podsA, and is wide enough to overlap the longitudinal edges of the pods, andto securely close the space between them. Its bottom isdialnond-pointed, and inclined outward to meet the curved edge of thecutter carried by the pod A and its supportingarm B2. It is secured tothe longitudinal edges of the pods by means of screw-bolts, or in anysuitable way. 'A corresponding side, O, is required opposite, to form acomplete cylinder and bucket by the union of the two pods A A and twosides, C O.

I am aware that movable sides have been used in combination with pods;but Iclaim that my sides curving outward at their bottom ends to meetthe extended curved cutters, and to increase the diameter of the bucketat its bottom to catch all the loose dirt, is new and advantageous.`

b is an open-ended metal loop, welded or otherwise rigidly secured tothe shank of the armB in such a manner that it will admit the shankofthe arm B2 to be rigidly locked therein by suitable keys.

c is a second open-ended loop, secured in the same manner as the loop bto the shank of the arm B, at a point opposite the top end of the shankof the arm B2, which shank has an eye in its end.

d is a bolt passed transversely through holes in the projecting ends ofthe loop c and the eye in the shank of the arm B2, by means of which thearms B and BZ and the two sections of the auger are hinged to' that mymanner ot' hinging the two arms together direct, with dowel-pins tostrengthen the union, is new and advantageous.

Fig. 2 is a crcsssection view through the line .r of Fig. 1, and morefully illustrates the manner oi' keying the two arms B and B2 togetherto produce a solid rigid union ot' the two.

I am aware that closed sliding loops have been used to connect the armsot' angers; but I claim that my manner of using the open-ended fixedloops b and c to forma hinged joint is new and greatly advantageous inwellangers.

Fig. 3 is a side view taken at right angles with Fig. 1, and shows myextended and curved ends g g on the lower extremities of the arms B andB2, and illustrates the manner in which the pods A, cutters D, andcurved-arm extensions g are united to mutually support each other, andthereby add efciency and strength to the complete auger.

The cutters are rigidly secured to the pods by screw-bolts, or in anysuitable way, and the curvedarin extensions then bolted to the unitedpod and cutter.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view, illustrating the construction andoperation of my hinged sectional bucket-bottom.

E isa cross-bar or rock-shaft, designed to rest and turn in suitablebearings in the lower ends of my movable sides C. G G are semicircularrigid plates, hinged to the rock-shaft E in any suitable way. Their freeedges are shaped to conform with the inside of my bucket or cylinder,and covered with strips of leather or other suitable packing, to makewat-ertight valves. k is a wire spring, the ends of which extend inopposite directions over the plates G, to keep them pressed down inahorizontal position, as required to close the bucket. m m are rodslinked to the plates G, and extend up to the top ot' the bucket.

I am aware that rods and ropes have been attached to the movable bottomot' angers, and that a rod has been attached to a valve that opensdownward but I claim that my combination of rods and valves, that openupward in such amanner that the valves can be operated from the top ofthe Well while the auger is in operation, is new and advantageous.

I am aware that valves have been hinged in well angers and buckets; butI claim that my manner of mounting the plates G on a movable bar, andconnecting rods therewith to operate them from the top ofthe auger, toadmit and discharge liquid matter without opening the cylinder, is newand greatly advantageous.

Fig. 5 is a top-plan view of my auger and bucket, and shows my extendedand curved cutters, and the positions of the ditferent parts relative tothe wall of the bore, which is indicated by a circle of dots.

The outside curved ends of the inclined cutters D are inet by theoutwardly-bent diamond points of the sides C, and the dirt cut loose bythe sharp edges of the cutters is directed inwardly and upward by thejoint action ot' the extended ends of the cutters and sides, and theannular space between the anger-bucket and the wall of the bore is thuskept free.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of the main arm B and its pod A and cutterD, divested of all the other detachable parts of my complete auger andbucket, as required to stir under and loosen bowlders and otherobstructions that may be met in sinking a bore.

The utility of my curved-arm extension g is apparent in view of the factthat great strength is required to resist the strain to which the curvedend of the pod is subjected in loosening and removing obstructions, andin penetrating hard substances. i By means ofthe united strength of theextended arm, the pod, and the cutter, my auger is peculiarly welladapted for penetrating through strata of slate, soap-stoe, coal, andother hard substances, and to move bowlders and other embeddedobstructions.

In the practical operation of my improved anger it may be attached to ashaft in any suitable manner, and operated by any suitable mechanism andpower.

The position ofthe cutters (twisted relative to each other,and inclinedfrom the center outward and upward) dispenses with the necessity ofacenteringpoint, and by means of the support afforded by the curved-armextensions g they are so rigidly and durably xed that they need noconnection, and each cutter D can be independently forced to cut andpenetrate the ground and all substances that offer less resistance thansolid lime-rock.

By means of the ixed loops b c and the hinged-joint connections of thearms B and B2, and my movable sides C and movable sectional bottom G G,my auger can be advantageously used in quicksand, water, and slush. Anyliquid matter can be elevated therein from the bottom of the bore, andby means of the rod m it can be let in, and also discharged, by simplylifting the hinged valves G.

In rotating the shaft and auger the cutters D rapidly shave oli' groundand other substances in the bottom of the bore, and force it up abovethe valves G G. When the rotary motion ceases the valves areautomatically closed by the spring la, and all the loose matter in theauger will be elevated by lifting the auger and bucket. The fasteningssecuring the pod A on the hinged arm B2 to the sides C C can be readilyloosened and the pod swung outward to free and empty the sand, ground,or solid particles brought up in the closed auger and bucket.

The improvements made and advantages gained by the foregoing enumeratedadditions to my au ger are distinctly set forth, and I summarize thesame by specific claims, as follows I claim as my inventionl. In anearth-auger, the arm B, having a curved extension, g, at its bottom, andcarrying the open-ended loops b c and dowel-pinsf f, in combination withthe hinged arm B2, having a curved extension, g,'at its bottom, as

and for the purposes set forth.

2. The movable sides C C, having their lower` pointed ends bent outward,in combination with the extended cutters D, to increase the diameter ofthe bucket at its bottom, substantially as and for the purposes shownand described.

CHARLES D. PIERCE.

Witnesses:

EDWIN L. OGDEN, EDWARD G. WEBSTER.

